Does Egypt want military intervention?

CAIRO, Egypt — Instead of calming the hostile confrontation between supporters of President Mohamed Morsi and the mass of protesters seeking his ouster, a military statement giving political forces just 48 hours to resolve the country’s current crisis appears to have hardened stances on both sides.

In a statement read on national television Monday, the military, once the guardian of Egypt’s transition to democracy, said it would intervene with a road map for the country’s future if leaders failed to listen to “the will of the people.”

From jubilant euphoria, to cautious welcome, anger and dismay, Egyptians displayed a wide range of reactions to the statement that highlights the political polarization feeding Egypt’s unrest since Morsi, a former Muslim Brotherhood leader, took office a year ago.

“We are fed up with the Muslim Brotherhood ruling us,” said Sawsan Farah, as she walked out of a cafe near Cairo’s Tahrir Square carrying an Egyptian flag.